Wir ziehen aus unserer Wohnung und verlassen Berlin

What’s the difference between “ausziehen” and “verlassen” in German?

German uses two different verbs where English collapses into “to leave.” Ausziehen (separable: aus + ziehen) means to move out of an apartment, a flat-share, or a parents' house. Verlassen is broader: leaving a city, a country, a relationship, a job. A German who says ich ziehe aus signals a small move (boxes, a moving van); ich verlasse Berlin signals a bigger life change. The pair gives German conversation a precision English lacks; you can stack them in one sentence to escalate the emotional weight.

In this clip, a couple announces their move: “wir ziehen nicht nur aus dieser Wohnung aus, wir verlassen auch Berlin” (“we’re not just moving out of this apartment, we’re also leaving Berlin”).